Apparatus and method for producing plastic bottles

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for producing plastic bottles includes a molding machine to receive and mold the preforms into bottles; a labeling machine to label the bottles; a filler to fill the bottles; a packer to package the bottles; and a distributor arranged at an outfeed of the labeling machine or the filler to transfer the bottles to the packer. No buffers are positioned between at least one of the molding machine, the labeling machine, and the filler and at least one of the packer and the distributor to bloc-synchronize the at least one of the molding machine, the labeling machine, and the filler with the at least one of the packer and the distributer. The at least one of the molding machine, the labeling machine, and the filler being spaced a distance from the at least one of the packer and the distributor via one or more transfer starwheels.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/168,444, filedOct. 23, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/875,336, filed Sep. 3, 2010, which claims the benefit of priority ofGerman Application No. 102009040363.9, filed Sep. 7, 2009. This is alsoa continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/826,030, filed Aug. 13,2015, which claims the benefit of European Application No. 14181643.9,filed Aug. 20, 2014. U.S. application Ser. No. 16/168,444, U.S.application Ser. No. 12/875,336, U.S. application Ser. No. 14/826,030,German Application No. 102009040363.9 and European Application No.14181643.9 are hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and to a method forproducing plastic bottles with a blow molding machine, a labeler and atleast one further treatment machine, such as a rinser, sterilizer,filler, capper, or the like.

BACKGROUND

It is standard in the manufacture of labeled plastic bottles thatplastic bottles are first produced in a rotary-type blow molding machinein a continuous way from blanks. The blow molding machine accommodatesthe heated blanks, also called preforms, in correspondingly designedblow molds in which these are then blown during rotation of the blowmolding machine under high pressure and at a high temperature to formbottles.

In known methods, the bottles are filled and subsequently labeleddownstream of the blow molding machine. However, it is also known thatthe finish-blown bottles are first labeled and then filled.

In general, there are long transfer paths between these differentmachines, partly also with interposition of buffers, so that facilitiesof that type are made relatively extensive, i.e. they need quite a lotof space.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

One aspect of the present disclosure is to develop a generic apparatusin such a way that with a spatially compact and space-saving arrangementthe apparatus is nevertheless flexible and easily adaptable to differentfunctions, and to provide a corresponding method therefor.

The apparatus according to the disclosure is distinguished in thattransfer starwheels are arranged for the machine-to-machinetransportation of the bottles in such a way that the bottles aretransported without buffers between the at least three machines. Themethod protects the corresponding direct treatment of the bottles indirect sequence after passage through intermediate conveyor paths formedby transfer wheels. Suitable transfer wheels are e.g. known from WO2006/087088 A2 (see FIGS. 9 and 10).

According to the disclosure the individual machines are thus directlyinterconnected, i.e. bloc-synchronized, via transfer starwheels. Thetransfer of the containers between the individual machines takes placevia said starwheels, so that although the machines can be arranged indirect vicinity with each other without any long intermediatetransportation belts, or the like, separation points are so to speakformed between the machines in the area of the transfer starwheels,which permits a flexible adaptation to different functions. Furthermore,transfer points may be provided in the area of the transfer starwheelsfor discharging and/or introducing containers so as to e.g. dischargeuseless or unneeded containers or to fill gaps. Especially in the caseof transfer wheels with selectively controllable grippers, this can berealized without any problems. Such transfer points are of particularadvantage in the area between a blow molding machine and one of thedownstream machines.

In an advantageous configuration of the disclosure at least two transferstarwheels are interposed between the blow molding machine and thelabeler, at least one of said starwheels serving pitch changingpurposes. Hence, with this measure the transfer starwheels can serve notonly transportation purposes between interconnected machines, but mayalso be configured as pitch changing starwheels, e.g. in a manner knownper se as pivoting or pivoting/pushing starwheels, so that they can thenchange the pitch of the bottle row to the required machine pitch for thesubsequent labeler, or of a labeler to a subsequent machine, such as arinser, filler, or the like.

In a further variant of the disclosure, it is intended that of thetransfer starwheels at least one is provided for inspection functionsand/or for circumferential alignment of the bottles. With this measure,at least one transfer starwheel is used for attaching inspection modulesin its circumferential area, so that the quality (geometric data,absence of defects or damage) of the upstream operating steps can bechecked or defects on the container can be detected, such defectspossibly causing malfunctions in the downstream machines. Bottlesdetected to be defective might then be removed. For instance, thetransfer starwheels present between blow molding machine and labeler maybe provided for the inspection of the just finish-blown bottles, and thetransfer starwheels downstream of the labeler may be provided forinspection of the label position and the label itself.

Advantageously, the whole apparatus is configured with the individualmachines and transfer starwheels in such a way that a continuous,particularly constant, neck handling plane is also obtained fordifferent bottle sizes or heights. It is intended in a furtheradvantageous configuration of the disclosure that transportation andtransfer from the blow molding machine takes place while maintaining theorientation or alignment in the removal position of the bottles from theblow mold up to the labeler for a position-correct labeling. With thismeasure an aligning or orienting process of the bottles for theposition-correct infeed into the labeler is simplified or can be omittedaltogether and additional aligning paths need not be provided, which inturn shortens the conveyor path.

In a further advantageous configuration of the disclosure it is intendedthat the transfer starwheels are configured as individual modules withtheir own drive and standard interface. Hence, the transfer starwheelsform interfaces with respect to the upstream and/or downstream machinesand, thanks to their individual drives (e.g. servomotors, mechanicalcoupling with decoupling function, or the like), they can decouple themachines from each other. For instance, when a transfer starwheelbetween the blow molding machine and the labeler is stopped, adecoupling between blow molding machine and labeler can take place,which is e.g. of advantage for eliminating a disorder. It is therebymade possible that e.g. machines that are still operative can be run inan empty state whereas e.g. the upstream ones are stopped. For instance,preferably the blow molding machine can still be run in an empty statewhile the labeler is stopped, e.g. by way of bottle ejection. Thissolution also offers a typing function for eliminating the malfunctionwithout the need for running the upstream or downstream machines. Alsoin the case of retooling an operation of the individual machinesindependently of the others is of advantage. Finally, since the machinescan be decoupled, it is also possible to improve operator protectionbecause the transfer starwheels between adjoining machines can then bedisabled, thereby reducing the risk of squeezing or drawing-in.

The transfer starwheels form not only the mechanical interface with themachines (modules) but in a figurative sense they also form interfaceswith respect to automation and control. In choosing the number andarrangement of the transfer starwheels, it is also possible to furtherdefine the position or angular arrangement of the individual machinesand their mutual distance. Likewise, the running direction can be variedaccordingly, depending on the number of the transfer starwheels.

In a further advantageous configuration of the disclosure, the labeleris configured as a modular machine with change units for labeling,printing, aligning and/or inspection. When the labeler is configured inthis way, the variable usability of the whole apparatus is enhancedbecause different labeling functions can then be realized in a simpleway on the labeler by just changing the labeling units.

When the further treatment machine is a filler/capper combination whichis bloc-synchronized via at least two transfer starwheels with thelabeler, this will yield the aforementioned advantages also betweentreatment machine and filler/capper combination. There are shortdistances or paths while an independent stopping of the individualmachines is nevertheless possible.

In a further configuration of the disclosure, the filler/cappercombination may be followed by further treatment machines, e.g. acontrolled distribution starwheel with which the bottles exiting fromthe filler/capper combination in spaced-apart relationship can be handedover to a multi-track packer. Such distribution starwheels are known perse, e.g. from DE OS 10 2006 023 531, the content of which is herewithreferred to. When such a distribution starwheel is bloc-synchronizedwith the filler/capper combination, one will realize a space-savingalternative in which the bottles arriving in a row in spaced-apartconfiguration are handed over to a multi-track packer without thebottles contacting one another during this operation, i.e. the positivebottle handling is uninterruptedly maintained. Space-consumingdisplacement paths are thereby avoided. It is conceivable to maintainthe neck handling of bottles up and into a packer, which is alsodesigned for neck handling transportation, and to produce, possiblyright away, a pitch of pack groups during transfer, which pitchcorresponds to the machine pitch. The packer thereby also forms part ofa synchronously drivable total bloc system, which is preferably feasiblewithout intermediate buffering.

When the bottles are to be produced in a single-stage process,bloc-synchronization is also possible with a preform injection moldingmachine arranged upstream of the blow molding machine, which canpreferably also take place via transfer starwheels (possibly with pitchchanging function).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure shall now be explained and described in moredetail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view on an apparatus of the disclosureaccording to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view on a second embodiment; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic top view on a third embodiment of an apparatusaccording to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The apparatus according to the disclosure comprises various machines forproducing, labeling and, in the illustrated example, for filling andcapping plastic bottles. In detail, the illustrated apparatuscomprises—in the sequence of the individual treatment stages—a preformsupply 60, a heater 50, the blow molding machine 10, the labeler 20 andthe filler/capper combination 30, 40 as well as a downstream controlleddistribution starwheel 46 that transfers the bottles arriving at thedischarge belt 45 in a single row to the multi-track discharger 53. Thedischarger 53 may already be part of a subsequent packer 54, which ise.g. designed for the groupwise packing of bottle packs in shrink filmand/or a carton blank. The packer may e.g. be designed in conformitywith DE 42 07 725 A1 and/or DE 44 41 700 A1, i.e. preferably with neckguides for the at least sectionwise suspended transportation of bottles.However, conventional packing machines with bottom-supported bottletransportation via conveyor belts are also useable.

As can be seen in the figure, the individual machines are closelyinterconnected or bloc-synchronized at short distances and are onlyseparated from one another by interposed transfer starwheels. In detail,the preforms/bottles pass through the stations described hereinafter inthe following way:

First of all, the preforms are separated in the preform separator 60 andsupplied via an infeed path 61 to the heating module 50. At said placethey pass along the heating or conditioning path with heating devices 51and are thereby heated to the temperature needed for blow molding. Theheating device is directly bloc-synchronized with the blow moldingmachine 10 and transfers the preforms via the infeed starwheel 11 intothe blow molding carousel 13. The plastic containers then blown intobottles pass from there via the outfeed starwheel 12 to the two transferstarwheels 21 and 22 interposed between blow molding machine 11 andlabeler 20.

In these transfer starwheels the bottles can optionally be given a pitchpossibly different in the labeler and can optionally already beinspected and/or circumferentially aligned according to a specificfeature for labeling to as to detect and/or sort out defective bottles.The transfer starwheels have their own drives (not shown in more detail)and can thus interrupt the bottle stream between the blow moldingmachine 10 and the labeler 20.

The illustrated labeler comprises the infeed starwheel 23, the labelingcarousel 24 and the outfeed starwheel 26. A labeling unit 25 adjoins thecarousel 24. In this area the bottles passing therethrough are labeledand/or printed (possibly also the labels themselves). The labels can beremoved from a container in a precut form or made from a label strip byseparation. However, it is also possible to process self-adhesive labelsor sleeves, and the sleeves may here be stretch or shrink sleeves. Inthe case of conventional labels it is also possible to processshrinkable film material which after conventional winding onto a bottle,e.g. in combination with an initial and final gluing process, can befitted by heat treatment to the bottle contour. Combined equipmentvariants are also feasible. In the labeling carousel a bottom supportcan preferably be implemented by way of a contour-matched bottom pieceso as to avoid any bulging of the bottle bottom, which is still in asoft state and is loaded by internal pressurization during labeling;advantageously, the bottom is cooled and solidified at the same time.

The outfeed starwheel 26 of the labeler will then again hand over thebottles to two transfer starwheels 31 and 32, on which an inspectionand/or pitch change can be carried out again. Preferably, it is checkedin the area of these transfer starwheels whether the labels arecorrectly positioned and are free from damage, and a new pitch, as isneeded for the downstream filler, is effected if necessary.

The transfer starwheel 32 then transfers the bottles to the infeedstarwheel 33 of the filler 30, in which the bottles are filled. Thebottles will then pass via the outfeed starwheel 34 into the capper 40from where they are further transported to the discharger path 50. Thebottles arriving there at the distance of the pitch of the capper 40 canthen be removed from the discharger belt 45, e.g. by a controlledgripping starwheel 46, and handed over to a multi-track discharger 53.Said dischargers may e.g. be chains or belts with grippers (not shown inmore detail) for the suspended and possibly completely bottom-freetransportation of the bottles.

Since the blow molding machine is bloc-synchronized with the labeler andthe filler/capper combination 30, 40 just via a few transfer starwheels,a very compact design is accomplished on the whole together withenhanced flexibility because at the functional separation points formedby the transfer starwheels 21, 22 and 31, 32, respectively, a decouplingbetween the machines is possible both during operation and formaintenance purposes.

In the variant shown in FIG. 2, the basic components and the fundamentalstructure are the same as in the variant shown in FIG. 1. That is whythe same reference signs are also used. What is here not shown is thepreform supply 60. The heating module 50 is of a slightly differentconstruction without any functional differences ensuing from this.

The labeler 20 is configured as a modular machine in the case of whichseparate units 27 and 28 that are freely standing on the periphery ofthe carousel 24 are docked in specific positions. These units 27 and 28can be changed or easily exchanged and replaced by other units, so thatvery different labeling tasks can be performed without difficulty. Theunits may have assigned thereto supply stations (not shown in moredetail) possibly with fully automatic splicing and with a plurality oflabel supply rolls so as to ensure a labeling operation that is asuninterrupted as possible.

As another difference with respect to the variant shown in FIG. 1, fourfurther transfer starwheels 36 to 39 are arranged between the twotransfer starwheels 31 and 32. In the area of said transfer starwheels,particularly the bottoms of the bottles, which are normally still hotand have left the blow molding machine just shortly before, are activelycooled, which ensures that the bottles are adequately cooled prior totheir infeed into the filler and are thus stable. This is particularlyimportant in cases where CO2-containing beverages are filled underpressure in the filler. In the case of hot bottle bottoms the bottomarea might then get damaged and the bottoms might detach during biasingif the bottles were still too hot and instable.

As a further difference with respect to the variant shown in FIG. 1, aprotective housing 70 is arranged around the whole system, the housingenclosing the system components such that possibly even differentpressure and atmosphere ranges and sometimes even different cleanroomclasses can be generated in the area of the blow molding machine,labeling unit and/or filler if e.g. a sterile processing/environmentshould be required. Especially in the area of the transfer starwheels 31and 32, a kind of air separation preferably takes place througharrangement of a corresponding cover 75, so that possiblyglue-containing ambient air from the area of the labeler cannot diffusein the direction towards the filler and wet air can also not escape outof the area of the filler into the other direction. This airlock helpsto keep the filler area clean by preventing external contamination.

The protective sheath 70 can be configured on the whole such that a realhousing is created that surrounds the whole apparatus over the wholecircumference and then gives access to the individual machines andassemblies via doors and openings (not shown in more detail).

Very compact, closed and operative compact systems are created with theassembly according to the disclosure, said systems being highly flexiblywhile requiring little space and providing modular construction options.

Of course, in the variant shown in FIG. 2, a bloc-synchronizedcontrolled distributor starwheel may also be arranged on the outfeed ofthe filler, the distributor starwheel transferring the bottles exitingin a row to a multi-track discharger/packer.

FIG. 3 shows a further development of the variant shown in FIG. 1 with ablow molding machine in a single-stage operating mode, i.e. directlyupstream manufacture of the preforms for plastic bottles. The individualcomponents of the apparatus V are of modular construction and arrangedclose to one another and comprise an injection rotor 100, which ispreferably combined with an extruder 200 co-rotating at least in partand cooperates with an adjoining conditioning path 30, here configuredas a conditioning circle, which has several cooling and/or heatingstations 400 assigned thereto. The conditioning path 300 cooperates witha transfer starwheel 11, which in turn cooperates with the blow moldingrotor for stretch blow molding the bottles. Many injection molds 100′are arranged on the injection rotor 100 for instance in the peripheralarea. In the conditioning path 300 transfer spread mandrels 400 areprovided as transfer elements on movable arms of a pitch changingstarwheel 430. The transfer starwheel 11 also comprises transportationor transfer elements that hand over preforms issuing from the injectionrotor 100 to the blow molds of the blow molding rotor 13. Furtherdetails of a suitable single-stage machine can be gathered from thedocument WO 2009/049848 A2, which is here explicitly included.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for producing plastic bottles, theapparatus comprising: a molding machine to receive preforms and to moldthe preforms into bottles; a labeling machine to label the bottles; afiller to fill the bottles; a packer to package the bottles forshipment; and a distributor arranged at an outfeed of the labelingmachine or the filler to transfer the bottles to the packer, no buffersare positioned between at least one of the molding machine, the labelingmachine, and the filler and at least one of the packer and thedistributor to bloc-synchronize the at least one of the molding machine,the labeling machine, and the filler with the at least one of the packerand the distributer, the at least one of the molding machine, thelabeling machine, and the filler being spaced a distance from the atleast one of the packer and the distributor via one or more transferstarwheels.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a mult-trackdischarger, the bottles to be deposited on the multi-track dischargerusing the distributor and provided to the packer using the discharger.3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the molding machine is a blowmolding machine that stretch blow molds the preforms into bottles. 4.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distributor is a distributorstarwheel.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance is a firstdistance, wherein the molding machine is bloc-synchronized with thelabeling machine to space the molding machine a second distance from thelabeling machine.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the filler isbloc-synchronized with the labeling machine to space the filler a thirddistance from the labeling machine.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, furtherincluding a heating module to heat the preforms to a thresholdtemperature for the molding.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein themolding machine includes an infeed starwheel, a molding carousel, and anoutfeed starwheel, the infeed starwheel being bloc-synchronized with theheating module, the molding carousel to receive the preforms from theinfeed starwheel, and the outfeed starwheel to receive the bottles fromthe molding carousel.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one ormore transfer starwheels include a first transfer starwheel and a secondtransfer starwheel interposed between the molding machine and thelabeling machine to: 1) transfer the bottles from the molding machine tothe labeling machine; and 2) enable decoupling of the molding machineand the labeling machine, wherein the first transfer starwheel receivesthe bottles directly from the outfeed starwheel.
 10. The apparatus ofclaim 9, wherein the first transfer starwheel or the second transferstarwheel is structured to change a pitch of the bottles from themolding machine to the labeling machine.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9,wherein the first transfer starwheel is independently driven.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 11, wherein the infeed starwheel is a first infeedstarwheel and the outfeed starwheel is a first outfeed starwheel, andwherein the labeling machine includes a second infeed starwheel, alabeling carousel, a labeling unit, and a second outfeed starwheel, thesecond infeed starwheel to receive the bottles from the second transferstarwheel, the labeling carousel to receive the bottles from the secondinfeed starwheel, the labeling unit to label the bottles carried by thelabeling carousel, and the second outfeed starwheel to receive thebottles from the labeling carousel.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12,wherein the molding machine, the labeling machine, the filler, thepacker, the distributor, the first transfer starwheel, and the secondtransfer starwheel are structured to enable a continuous neck-handlingplane to be satisfied for different bottle sizes.
 14. The apparatus ofclaim 1, further including a cover between the labeling machine and thefiller, the cover to cover the bottles as they are transferred betweenthe labeling machine and the filler.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14,wherein the cover is to deter glue-containing air from diffusing to thefiller.
 16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more transferstarwheels includes a first transfer starwheel and a second transferstarwheel interposed between the labeling machine and the filler, thelabeling machine and the filler being bloc-synchronized via the firstand second transfer starwheels.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, furtherincluding a capper bloc-synchronized with the filler to space the cappera second distance from the filler, the capper to cap the bottlesreceived from the filler.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein thefiller includes an infeed starwheel and an outfeed starwheel, the infeedstarwheel to receive the bottles from the labeler and the outfeedstarwheel to transfer the bottles to the capper.
 19. A method ofproducing plastic bottles, the method comprising: receiving preforms andmolding the preforms into bottles using a molding machine; labeling thebottles using a labeling machine; filling the bottles using a filler;packaging the bottles for shipment using a packer; and transferring thebottles from the labeling machine or the filler to the packer using adistributor, no buffers are positioned between the at least one of themolding machine, the labeling machine, and the filler and the at leastone of the packer and the distributor to bloc-synchronize the at leastone of the molding machine, the labeling machine, and the filler with atleast one of the packer and the distributor, the at least one of themolding machine, the labeling machine, and the filler being spaced adistance from the at least one of the packer and the distributor via oneor more transfer starwheels.
 20. The method of claim 19, furtherincluding covering the bottles as they are transferred between thelabeling machine and the filler.
 21. The method of claim 20, whereincovering the bottles includes deterring glue-containing air fromdiffusing into the filler using a cover.
 22. The method of claim 19,further including depositing the bottles on a multi-track dischargerusing the distributor and providing the bottles to the packer using thedischarger.
 23. A system for producing plastic bottles, the systemcomprising: an apparatus to receive preforms, to mold the preforms intobottles, and to fill the bottles; a labeling machine to label thebottles; a packer to package the bottles for shipment; and a distributorarranged at an outfeed of the labeling machine to transfer the bottlesto the packer, no buffers are positioned between at least one of theapparatus and the labeling machine and at least one of the packer andthe distributor to bloc-synchronize the at least one of the apparatusand the labeling machine with the at least one of the packer and thedistributer, the at least one of the apparatus and the labeling machinebeing spaced a distance from the at least one of the packer and thedistributor via one or more transfer starwheels.
 24. The system of claim23, wherein the apparatus includes a molding machine and a filler. 25.The system of claim 24, wherein the molding machine is bloc-synchronizedwith the labeling machine to space the molding machine a second distancefrom the labeling machine.
 26. The system of claim 25, wherein thefiller is bloc-synchronized with the labeling machine to space thefiller a third distance from the labeling machine.
 27. The system ofclaim 23, wherein the apparatus comprises a form-filling machine.